Device for preventing loss of liquid by leakage from alpha valve



Feb. 9 1926. 1,5 72;678

' M. E.-PORDON DEVICE FOR PREVENTING LOSS OF LIQUID BY LEAKAGE FROM A VALVE Filed Jan; 5, 1921 2 sheets sheet 1 WITNESS INENTOR JM/W I t wwhqnuaz.

4;! ATTORNEYS Feb. 9,1926. 1,572,678

M. E. PORDON I DEVICE FOR PREVENTING LOSS OF. LIQUID BY LEAKAGE FROM A VALVE,

File 5, 21 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WTNESS INVENTOR j M flier/not. Porch? ATTORNE YS Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARINO E. PORDON, 0F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING LOSS OF LIQUID BY LEAKAGE FROM A. VALVE.

Application filed January 5, 1921. Serial No. 435,133.

1 '0 all @071 07a it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAuINo E. PoRDoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Alameda, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a newand useful Device for Preventing Loss of Liquid by Leakage from a Valve, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for recovering leakage that passes the interstices in valves while the valves are closed.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for recovering the leakage of liquid that may escape through the elements of a valve whenthe valve is in closed positionand, therefore, to prevent the total loss of the liquid leakage and to reduce fire hazard.

It is a' further object of the present invention to provide a valve having means into which the leakage, escaping past the valve elements while closed, will drain and be conveyed to a suitable receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drainage device into which leakage from a closed valve will pass and further provide means for closing the drainage aperture when the valve is open and while it is discharging. In this connection, it is a further object of the invention to provide means for closing a'drainage aperture automatically by the pressure of liquid being discharged from the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide in combination with a motor-trucktank a discharge valve having. a drainage device with means connected to the tank of the truck and to the motor of the truck for automatically returning the leakage liquid to the tank.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be made mar -fest in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment shown by the said drawings and descriptionas variations may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is. a, central, longitudinal section through a common type of valve to which the invention has been adapted, a few of the parts however being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, mainly in section, of a fragment of a valve showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal sectional viewthrough a different type of valve showing a modified form of the invention applied thereto. 7

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a motor truck tank to which the invention has been applied and showing means for automatically returning leakage liquid to the tank, with a part of the motor hood broken away so as to illustrate the invention more clearly.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a form of cock with a plug adjusting jack and draining seat.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of another form of adjustable plug support and draining seat valve. Fig. 6 shows a modified adjusting device for'the valve plug.

- As is well known, it is very difiicult to maintain a valve in such condition that the valve closure or plug member will, at all times, form a liquid-tight seat within the valve shell and with the result that in many cases, and especially when the valve is used in combination with tanks containing thin liquid, there is a constant and, sometimes, considerable loss by. leakage of the liquid because of the improper closure of the Valve. This improper closure may be the result of particles interfering witlr the full seating of the valve or may be due to imperfections in the construction and also from wear of the valve elements.

The present invention is designed for the purpose of catching leakage material that may pass the valve plug or closure and would otherwise be lost through the Valve spout. The present invention, therefore, resides in means attachable to, or forming a part of, a valve structure, such means serving to catch and drain away the leakage past the closed valve-closure. The invenin many variants or forms. a In Fig. 1 a well known form of cook 01',

valve is shown as having a shell 2 in which is seated a taper plug 3 with the usual later mix:

port 4 to be turned into register With the valve chamber 5 which latter is extended into the mouth of the spout (3 forming a portion of the shell. The invention in the present case may be lIlCOl'POl'tltOd bodily in the construction of the valve or may form an attachment thereto, in the latter case it being, therefore, possible to apply the attachment to valves already constructed and in use. \Vhen the invention is in the form of an attachment, it may consist of a bushing or plug 7 having a threaded neck or portion 8 adapted to be secured into a tapped -hole 9 cut therefor in the curvature of the spout at the lower portion of the chamber 5 and between the mouth of the spout and the seat of the plug 3.

The bushing 7 has its inner end preferably concaved, as at 10, so that when it is adjusted to communicate with the chamber 5 of the shell, leakage liquid seeping past the valve plug 3, when it is in its closed position, will gravitate into the basin formed on the inner end of the bushing 7. The bushing 7 is provided with a duct or drainage opening 11 opening in the bottom of the basin or concave portion 10 and leading to the lower end of the bushing, to which latter may be attached a drain tube or pipe 12 which may lead into a receptacle provided to receive the drainage; Since it is possible, and the ordinary practice, to serve liquids, such as gasoline, through valves of the type shown in Fig. 1 without precise measurement to small fractions, it is obvious that the drainage device 7 may be normally and constantly open even while liquid is being discharged through the valve when the valve plug 3 is in the open position, since but a small portion of the discharging liquid would enter the drainage duct 11. Preferably, however, a valvular device or closure is provided to cut off the flow of liquid into the duct 11 when the valve is open and discharging and this closure may be readily effected by a simple valve-like member 13 operative in one position to close the'duct 1'1 and in another position to move away from the duct to permit drainage of liquid seeping past the closed valve into the duct 11. The closure 13 may be rendered automatic in its opening action by arranging iton a pivot 14 preferably provided on the inner end of the bushing '7, one arm of the closure 14 being weighted on the opposite side of the pivot from the closure end This weighted end is preferably in the form of an upstanding portion 15 of sufficient weight to tilt the little valve closure 13 to open position, but when the valve plug 3 is turned to open positionto discharge liquid, the pressure of the liquid reacting against the part 15 will serve to close the closure 13 down on its scat formed by the upper end of the duct 11. It

uvaevs will, therefore, be seen that this device 0perates to automatically open when the valve member 3 is closed and will be automatically closed when the valve member 3 is open, due to pressure of discharging liquid.

A somewhat modified form of the device is shown in Fig. 2, in which the bushing or plug 7, similar to the plug of Fig. 1, has its that closed by a valve device 13 formed, or mounted. on the end of a lever 13" mounted on a pivot 1-1 which in this form is mounted in an aperture provided therefor in the shell body 2-. The lever has a tinger 16 operating in a slot 17 in the shell and is adapted to bear against the contiguous surface of the plug 3 which, at the zone engaged by the end of the finger 16, has a cam surface 18. This cam surface such that when the valve plug 3 is turned to the closing position the linger 10 is pressed outwardly to rock the lever 13 upwardy and lift the valve device 13 from the mouth of the drain duct 11. \Vhen the valve is turned to the open position the end of the linger ll; follows the cam 18 which is recessed into the end of the plug 3, so that the arm 1;)" with the valve'part 13 may move downwardly to' close the mouth of the duct 11. It will be seen, therefore, that the valve device 13 is controlled by the action of the valve plug 3.

As illustrating the adaptation of the invention to a different form of valve, this is shown in Fig. 3 in which the valve shell 20 is provided with a spout 21 and is pro vided with a central bearing 22 through which reciprocates a valve stem 23 having on its inner end a valve disc 24 designed to seat outwardly against the annular seat 25 in the shell. The opening and closing of the valve disc 21' is secured by means of a rock shaft 26 having on one end a suitable operating lever and also provided with a device, for instance such as cam 27, in a spout 21 to engage the contiguous end of the valve stem 23. The valve disc is normally moved toward its seat, as by means of a spring 28, that may be mounted on the bearing 22 and thrust against a washer 29 on the contiguous end of the stem 3. Rotation of the rock shaft 26 will bring the cam 27 in a position against the contiguous end of the stem 23 and overcoming the pressure of the spring 28 will force the valve disc 24 from its seat. A plunger 30 is urged in an upward direction by spring 36 against the side of valve stem 23, which prevents the plunger from permitting the ball 31 to seat on its seat32, and close a valve opening.

This seat is formed in a bushing 33 in which.

the plungerSO reciprocates. The bushing 33 is applicable to a threaded portion 3-1 in the bottom of the valve shell 20 and has downwardly leading ducts 35 from the concave surface of theportion 34: so that when the valve 31 is removed from its seat by the plunger 30, leakage liquid seeping past the valve disc 2 1 may escape past valve 31 and drain into a connection, as the tube 12, leading to a suitable receptacle. Coordinate movement of the valve stem 23 and the plunger 30, may be secured as by forming a reduced portion 23' in the stem, this portion being adapted when the valve stem is in its rear position to cause the downward movement of the plunger between which and the cam portion 23 may be interposed an anti-friction device in the form of a ball 30. As the valve disc 24 is opened, the cam portion 23 moves toward the abutn'icnt member 30" and the latter drops into the reduced portion of the stem under the reaction of a spring 36 which presses against the ball valve 31, the latter bearing against the plunger 30. It will be seen from 'the above that the opening and closing of the drain valve 31 is concurrent with relative movements of the valve disc 24 and its stem 23, so that when the valve is closed the drainage valve 31 is open, and vice versa.

The invention further contemplates a combination, when it is incorporated with the discharge valve of a motor truck tanl. such as shown in Fig. 4, of means for automatically restoring the leakage material back into the source or tank. This is readily accomplished when the drain pipe 12, for instance, is connected directly or indirectly to the tank 40 of the truck, as by means of a return tube 41 leading from the receptacle 12 into which the pipe 12 drains to. a suitable vacuum device 12 which in turn is connected by .a vacuum pipe 43 to the intake manifold 44 of the motor of the truck. It will be seen, therefore, that when there is a considerable leakage of liquid from the tank 40 past a valve 2, the leakage is conveyed by the pipe 12, if desired, into the receptacle 12 and, if the motor of the truck is running, the vacuum created in a vacuum device 12 will draw liquid from the receptacle 12 through the tube 40 into the device 42' from which it may be dis charged again into the tank 10.

Not infrequently, there is a leakage between the valve seat in the shell 2 and from the lower upper end of the shell through which the threaded shank 3 of the valve plug extends. It therefore is a further object of the present invention to provide a basin which may be suitably attached to the valve shell or parts thereof so as to catch the leakage and drain same into the drain tube 12 to which the lower portion of the basin 50 is connected, as at 51.

h'ly invention also enables tli'ec'on'struttion of a valve of the plug cock type in which the plug can be prevented from freezing or binding on its seat by virtue of a jack or supporting device adjustable to lift the plug from its seat an extremely slight degree. A valve combining the leakage drain and means for lifting the plug so that it can be turned with but little friction on its seat will have longer life than a valve in which the plug seats hard and at the same time. any loss by leakage because of the light seating will be overcome by the catch drain.

In Fig. 5 the shell 2 has a closed bottom on the extension of the seat 2 on which the tapered plug 3 may be fitted. The plug 3 tern-iinates above the bottom 55 and has a center pocket 56 to receive the adjacent end of a jack device. This may include a ball 57 resting on a screw 59, in the bottom 55, accessible when the plug screw 59 is removed. The upper end of the valve seat 2 is covered by a bonnet 60 through which extends the usual stom G1.

The stem is surrounded by a spring 62 reacting against the bonnet and forcing the plug 3 down against the jack device, by Q which the plug may thus be lifted to relieve its pressure on the seat 2, therefore permitting the plug to be readily turned. To take care of leakage, which might occur because of the loose seating of the valve, there is provided, at the upper end of the plug, an

inclined groove 63 .formed in the upper portion of theplug; the inclination being such that leakage will run toward the spout through a por 64. A deflecting vane 65 in the spout chamber directs the leakage down to the draining "duct 11. The spaces above the bottom piece 55 and below the bonnet 60 may be filled with a thick oil or grease. Above the groove 63 there is provided a packing ring 66. A ball bearing 67 may be interposed under the spring 62.

In Fig. 6 the plug 3 has its upper end exposed asusual in valves of this type. but is provided with the packing ring 66 and groove 63. In this modification the lower end has its stem 3 passing through a ball bearing support 68, the lower race ring of which seats on a set of springs 69 which are sunk in a washer 70. This washer bears against a nut.71 adjustable on stem 3 to determine the down pressure of the plug 3 on the seat. Acting in opposition to this down pressure is a jack device 57-58, as above described, and by which the desired fit of the plug may be nicely regulated. The

packing ring 66 keeps the valve seat dust proof. 7

From the above it will be seen that the valve is capable of long service, reducing the wear, and therefore avoiding constant grinding and expensive upkeep and labor.

.What is claimed is:

1. In a valve structure for controlling the flow. of a liquid, meansproviding an inlet, means providing an outlet, a valve for connecting and disconnecting'the inlet and the outlet, a drain device having an opening communicating With the outlet, and means operatedby the pressure of the liquid flowing through the outlet for controlling the drain opening.

2. In a valve structure for controlling the flow of a liquid, means providii'ig an inlet, means providing an outlet, a valve for connecting and disconnecting the inlet and the outlet, a drain device having an opening communicating with the outlet, a movable cover for the opening, and means for operating the cover, comprising an operating member in the outlet, having a surface so arranged that it may be operated by the pressure of the liquid flowing through the outlet.

3; A valve having means for regulating the degree of seating of the closing member of the valve, and means for catching leakage ast the member when in closed position and efore escaping from the valve mouth.

4. A valve having means for regulating the degree of seating of the closing member of the valve, and means for catching leakage past the member when in closed posit ion and before escaping from the valve mouth, and packing means to prevent leakage at the end of said member.

5. A valve having means for regulating the degree of seating ot the closing member of the valve, and means for catching leakage past the member when in closed position and before escaping from the vaIve mouth, and means for draining leakage toward the leakage catching means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MARIN O E. PORDON, 

